The Internet Revolution is a Liberty Revolution

Until the late 1990s, individuals interested in Austrian economics, U.S. constitutional
history, and libertarian philosophy had few sources of information. They had
to spend hours scouring used book stores or the back pages of obscure libertarian
periodicals to find the great works of Mises, Rothbard, Hayek, and other giants
of liberty. Local library and university collections ignored libertarian politics
and economics.

Today, however, the greatest classics of libertarian thought, libertarian
philosophy, and libertarian economics are available instantly to anyone with
internet access. Thanks to the internet, it is easier than ever before for
liberty activists to spread news and other information regarding the evils
of government power and the benefits of freedom. For the first time in human
history, supporters of liberty around the world can share information across
borders quickly and cheaply. Without the filter of government censors, this
information emboldens millions to question governments and promote liberty.

This is why liberty-minded Americans must do everything possible to oppose--
and stop-- government attempts to censor or limit the free flow of information
online.

One such attempt is known as "CISPA", or the Cyber Intelligence Sharing
and Protection Act. This bill will create a monstrous coalition of big
business and big government to rob Americans of their protections under the
4th Amendment of the Constitution.

CISPA permits both the federal government and private companies to view your
private online communications with no judicial oversight, provided they
merely do so in the name of "cybersecurity." But America is a constitutional
republic, not a surveillance state-- and the wildly overhyped need
for security does not trump the Constitution.

"Cybersecurity" is the responsibility of companies that operate and make
money in cyberspace, not taxpayers. Those companies should develop market-based
private solutions to secure their networks, servers, cloud data centers,
and user/customer information. The role of the US intelligence community
is to protect the United States from military threats, not to provide corporate
welfare to the private sector. Much like the TSA at the airport, CISPA would
socialize security costs and remove market incentives for private firms to
protect their own investments.

Imagine security-cleared agents embedded at private companies to serve as
conduits for intelligence information about their customers back to the US
intelligence community-- while enjoying immunity from any existing civil or
criminal laws. Imagine Google or Facebook reporting directly to the National
Security Agency about the online activity of US citizens. Imagine US government
resources being wasted on a grand scale to "assist" private companies in the
global market. All of this would become reality under CISPA.

As of this writing, it appears that the House and Senate will not agree on
a final version of CISPA this year. However, the Obama administration seems
ready to impose provisions of this bill by executive order if Congress does
not act soon.

The past five years have seen an explosion in the liberty movement, fueled
in large part by the internet. Preserving that freedom is crucial if the liberty
movement is to continue its progress. Therefore, all activists in the liberty
movement have a stake in the battle for internet freedom. We must be ready
to come together to fight any attempt to increase government's power over the
internet, regardless of the supposed justifications. We must resist voices
from both the political right and left which alternatively seek to legislate
morality or enforce political correctness with force. Copyright protection,
pornography, cyberterrorism, gambling, and "hate speech" are merely excuses
for doing what all governments have done throughout human history: increase
their size, scope, and power.

Once we understand this, we understand the critical link between internet
freedom and human freedom.

Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier
advocate for liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman
in Washington for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets,
and a return to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency.
He is known among both his colleagues in Congress and his constituents for
his consistent voting record in the House of Representatives: Dr. Paul never
votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized
by the Constitution. In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon,
Dr. Paul is the "one exception to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill.